To Protect A Child, To Love A Child

Chapter 29

When they got to the room, Dr. Collins briefly stopped her before going in, "As of right now he appears to still be out from the surgery so do not panic or worry if he does not wake up while you are in there it is nothing to be concerned about...unfortunately your visit must be brief so please do not stay much longer than ten minutes, fifteen minutes tops...he will be put through a lot of tests early in the morning so he does not need to be tired, understood?"

"Yes doctor" Nikki acknowledged what he said but couldn't take her eyes off her husband who she could see through the window.

"Alright, well then you can go on in Mrs. Newman" the doctor informed her and turned to walk away.

Nikki mumbled a thank you and then pushed the door open. The door closed and she stopped in front of it taking in all the monitors and tubes that Victor was attached to. She finally closed the distance between her and her husband's bed but could not help but be frozen in her thoughts *This is all my fault...I encouraged you to go see Ashley, I pushed you to talk to her...all for my own selfish reasons...I knew it wasn't a good idea...God why did I have to push so hard for you to go talk to Ashley...what kind of wife am I, I don't deserve you...please be okay Victor*. "Please be okay Victor...you have to be okay" Nikki pleaded as she watched her husband sleep and appear to not hear her at all. "I can't live without you...please don't make me live without you" Nikki couldn't hold her tears back anymore as she began to sob she turned her back to Victor's bedside trying not to disturb him but in spite of her efforts this caused Victor to wake up, his eyes shooting open to the sound of his wife's crying.

At first he was disoriented, not knowing where he was or why he was there, but then his eyes zeroed in on his wife with her back turned to him her shoulders shaking, she was obviously crying, Victor couldn't stand to see her cry, "Nikki...Nikki" Victor, his throat scratchy from not using it, called to his wife getting her attention.

Nikki whipped around to the sound of Victor's voice. Seeing her husband awake she let out a sob, "Baby...baby please don't cry" Victor's heart broke seeing his wife so upset, "Come here" he reached out his hand to her.

Nikki couldn't get to him quick enough taking his hand in both of hers, she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, "Oh darling...I'm so glad you're awake...I was so scared," Nikki's voice cracked with another sob.

"I'm so sorry my love...I didn't mean to scare you...but everything is alright now, I'm fine," Victor tried to sit up but grimaced and moaned with pain.

"Victor don't try to move, you just had surgery," Nikki said before thinking about the fact that he had no idea what had went on from the time he collapsed.

"Surgery? Why did I have surgery...I just passed out," Victor asked confused.

Nikki took a deep breath trying to buy herself some time to figure out how to tell him what had actually happened, "Darling...you had a heart attack...you had to have an emergency bypass."

"What...no," Victor tried to think back to the happenings earlier that day. He thought back to the chest pains he had had, *But those were nothing...they didn't even hurt that much...oh God all those subtle pangs the past couple of days...I could have prevented this...me and my stubborn pride.* "They seemed like nothing," Victor thought out loud.

"They?" Nikki questioned then it dawned on her, "The other night, you were having chest pains weren't you? Why didn't you tell me...you could have died Victor."

"I thought they were nothing...I didn't want to worry you over nothing," Victor tried to explain.

"You didn't want to worry me? Victor I am your wife...it's my job to worry about you," Nikki exclaimed frustrated, "I was just leaving work when it happened...it would have been almost an hour before I would have gotten home...if Abby wasn't staying with us and hadn't called 911 when she did..."

"Wait, what?" Victor interrupted her after hearing what Abby had had to do. Nikki stopped, seeing the look on Victor's face, "I can't believe I made her have to do that...she's just a little girl...she must have been so scared..."

Nikki's heart ached at the pain written across her husband's face. Nikki moved away for a moment to grab a chair, sitting down she took his hand back in hers knowing this was not the time to be angry she needed to be there for her husband, "Victor...darling...I promise Abby is fine...yes she was scared especially when she called me, I mean she thought she was going to lose her father, but when she wakes up and finds out you are going to be okay she will be fine."

"Wakes up? Where is she...is she here?" Victor asked.

"Yes she's here... she's out in the waiting room with Nicholas and Victoria," Nikki grinned, "Victor you would've been so proud of her...when she found you she instantly called 911 and filled them in on what had happened then she called me and let me know what was going on...she handled everything so well, just like a little adult."

This brought a smile to Victor's face, "That girl is something special..." Victor closed his eyes thanking God for watching out for him, then his eyes flashed back open, "You said Abby told the paramedics what happened and she called you...so...what did happen? I know we made it back to the ranch...I remember that much...but what happened after that? What caused this?" Victor pressed his wife needing answers.

"Well..." Nikki began and proceeded to tell her husband what Abby had told her and what the doctors were speculating had happened, praying none of her answers would upset him, but knowing she could not leave anything out because Victor would know, he always knew, he could read her like a book.